Matt Koalska opened training camp with Ryan Caldwell and the Bridgeport SoundTigers in Shelton, Conn. on Monday.  Players were divided into Black and White teams playing on separate ice sheets.  The first day Caldwell was noticed for his speed and offensive ability.  Koalska scored a goal for the White team in the second game of scrimmages the second day of camp.  Players began afternoon weight training the second day in addition to intrasquad scrimmages and will play their first preseason game on Friday.
 
The Rochester Americans opened camp and Darcy Regier must have been smiling in the stands.  Thomas Vanek made an impact right away, scoring two assists for the Red team in the intrasquad scrimmage.  The first assist came when Derek Roy shot in Vanek's rebound.  The second was off a soft pass from the Austrian forward to Jason Pominville.  The scrimmage ended in a 5-on-5 shootout, preparation for the new rules instituted in the AHL this season where games ending in tie after a 5-minute 4-on-4 overtime period will go to a shootout.  Ryan Miller stopped Vanek on his shootout attempt.  Day two is also at the ESL Sports Centre and begins with a morning skate followed by another scrimmage.  The first exhibition game for Vanek and the Amerks is Saturday.
 
John Pohl welcomed Troy Riddle to his first training camp with the Worcester IceCats in St. Louis Mills on Tuesday.  Pohl had a nice first day assisting on Peter Sejna's goal and adding a tally of his own on the way to his Blue team's 4-1 win.
 
Zach Parise spent the end of last season practicing with the New Jersey Devils but he never played a game.  For the first time he got the chance to feel what a real professional game may be like when the Albany River Rats opened camp in the same South Mountain Arena where he practiced last spring.  He scored a goal and created opportunities in the first intrasquad scrimmage starting on a line with second-year forwards Aleksander Suglobov and Tuomas Pihlman.

The Desert Gophers, Phoenix Coyotes prospects Erik Westrum, Jeff Taffe and Keith Ballard don't open training camp until Thursday where they will play in the new state-of-the-art Bank of America Center in Boise, Idaho.

Joey Martin, on a tryout with the Norfolk Admirals will begin camp Thursday with an optional skate at 1pm.  Full workouts begin Friday followed by intrasquad scrimmages at the Scope.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Nick Schultz has signed to play in Kassel Germany with the Huskies of the DEL.  Fellow Wild blueliner Andrei Zyuzin is playing in Russia with Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

Matt Cullen will play for SC Cortina in Italy during the NHL lockout this season.  Cullen was not qualified by the Florida Panthers this summer and signed as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Cullen has an "out" clause with the Italian League in the event the NHL resumes play.

Bob Gainey's son Steve Gainey is playing with the French League team IC Epinal.  He played last season with the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms.

UND's Tyler Palmiscno is playing for the Heerenveen Flyers in the Netherlands this season.

Mike Pudlick has signed to play in Germany for the Augsberger Panthers in the DEL this season.  He played last year for the Portland Pirates.

Jay Woodcroft, brother to Minnesota Wild video coach Todd Woodcroft, signed to play with the Stuttgart Wizards in the Eishockey Oberliga Südwest.

Christoph Brandner along with Stephane Veillieux, Dan Cavanaugh, Mark Cullen, Jordan Krestanovich, Kirby Law, Jason Beckett, Ray Giroux and Kyle Wanvig were all signed by the Houston Aeros.  Due to the lockout they are not under contract with the Minnesota Wild and therefore needed AHL contracts.  All would have been with the Wild in training camp if not for the work stoppage.

The Manchester Monarchs of the AHL signed Beau Geisler to a one-year deal.

Jeff Panzer, who played with John Pohl and the Worcester IceCats last year has signed with the Syracuse Crunch.  He will play with Mark Hartigan there this season.

Contrary to earlier reports of his retirement, former North Star Steve Maltais re-signed with the Chicago Wolves.  Maltais is one of the AHL's elder statesmen, but moved to the league only following the failure of the IHL and subsequent merger.  He has become an icon of minor league hockey in Chicago.

Quick Quotes:

 "At the end of the day, when this is settled, our fans will come back, because it is a great game. Whatever the savings are, I don't see a dollar-for-dollar reduction.  It's a great game, and I think at the end of the day the price is fair. It's really about having the ability to generate more revenues for [the owners] and less for the players.  It's not about generating more money for themselves [the owners] to give back to the fans. I don't see that happening. Not in a major way. I do see it happening in a token way. We'll see some kind of rollback, public-relations wise to make it more attractive."

- Brian Lawton on the lockout and the owners' argument that lower salaries will reduce ticket prices. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

 "I'm excited about waiting to see him and watching him.  He's got a lot of tools, so I'm sure he's going to be a player that a lot of people are really going to want to watch."

- Albany River Rats Head Coach Robbie Ftorek on Zach Parise. (Times Union)

 "If you look at it, this is probably a great situation for me to get adjusted to the pro hockey and the kind of lifestyle.  When the time comes around, hopefully I'll be ready to go. Right now, I'm looking forward to playing in Albany."

- Zach Parise on beginning his professional career. (Times Union)


Quick Take I:

 The AHL will be the next best thing to the NHL for a great number of people this season.  What AHL fans will see is quite similar to what IHL fans took advantage of during the 1994 lockout.  NHL players who would otherwise be playing in the superior league have opted to sign in the developmental league.  Also playing are some minor league veteran stars like Minnesota's own Ken Gernander of the Hartford Wolf Pack, Travis Richards of the Grand Rapids Griffins or the Chicago Wolves' Steve Maltais who once played with the North Stars, all of whom are leaders of their teams the same way veterans like Steve Yzerman, Scott Stevens or Mark Messier are and just as good at their level.  Add to the mix one of the most outstanding crops of North American rookie players to join the league in years, including what is expected to be the continuation of a great rivalry between Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek.  

It is enough to make those without an AHL team near their market envious.  But never fear, those with digital cable or a dish may be closer than they think, most AHL teams will have games added to the Fox Sports Net group of stations to fill in empty NHL dates. 

Anyone who enjoys good professional hockey should look into it not just because its is the only game in town or because they can get a sneak peak at some possible new rule changes including overtime shootouts, restriction of goalie movement, touch-up offsides and no-touch icing.  Anyone who enjoys good hockey will have the opportunity to see good fast hockey played with heart not for money, because after all these boys won't be playing for a chance to get into NHL this year, they are playing to win. 

Quick Take II:

 Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer cites Trent Klatt's 1998 arbitration ruling awarding him a $900,000 contract as a fourth line player amongst the top reasons salaries became out of whack in the NHL.  Panaccio claims that with Klatt's award the precedent was set that fourth line players were worth almost $1 million.

This is another argument supporting Quick Facts' stance that arbitration is the real reason for the NHL financial woes.  Granted the Vancouver Canucks could have walked away from that award, but it indicates the inherent problem with arbitration as it stands now and remains the primary evil of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, not the lack of a salary cap.

Troy Riddle scored two goals in 38 seconds in the beginning of the third period to clinch the Traverse City Prospects Tournament Championship for the St. Louis Blues.  Riddle and other Blues prospects including John Pohl and Mike Stuart will open training camp for the Worcester IceCats in the Blues' new St. Louis Mills practice facility on Monday.  Riddle will wear jersey number 48 for the IceCats.
 
Matt Koalska and Ryan Caldwell will be roomates in Bridgeport this season, their first as pros after signing with the New York Islanders.  They will join former Gopher Ryan Kraft with the Bridgeport SoundTigers.  Training camp for the Tigers opens Monday and they will play their first exhibition game Friday, October 1st against Matt DeMarchi and the Albany River Rats also their regular season opening opponent.
 
Keith Ballard, Jeff Taffe and newlywed Erik Westrum will begin training camp with the Utah Grizzlies on September 30th in Boise, Idaho.  The camp, held in conjunction with ECHL affiliate Idaho Steelheads, the 2004 Kelly Cup Champions, will include preseason games against the Edmonton Road Runners. The promotional tagline for the Grizzlies this season is "See Red."
 
Joey Martin is among 10 defenseman on the roster for the Norfolk Admirals.  Martin, on a tryout with the Admirals, is under contract with the ECHL Greenville Grrrowl but has an outlet clause if he earns a spot with the Admirals.  Martin leaves for Norfolk this weekend with training camp set to open Thursday.  An intersquad scrimmage, dubbed the Red & White game, on October 6th.  The game is free and open to the public at the Scope arena.

Jake Taylor's professional hockey experience begins September 26th when the Hartford Wolf Pack opens training camp at the Madison Square Garden training center in Greenburg, NY.  The annual Blue & White intersquad scrimmage will be held October 5th at Veterans Memorial Park. The next day at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell the Pack take on the Worcester IceCats in exhibition play, which will pit Jake Taylor against former teammate Troy Riddle.  On October 12th Taylor, Captain Ken Gernander, Bryce Lampman and the rest of the team will take part in the fifth annual Hartford Wolf Pack's Golf For Kids tournament at the TPC River Highlands Course in Cromwell.  The shamble-format tourney benefits The Children's Home in Cromwell. 

Grant Potulny will have the opportunity to play with Dominik Hasek despite the NHL lockout.  Hasek will spend two weeks with the Senators' AHL affiliate in Binghamton.  There remains a possibility that Hasek could sign a free agent contract with the Baby Sens.  Young Sens forward Jason Spezza has already returned as a free agent to Binghamton.  Several other players have followed suit meaning ice time and jobs may be harder to come by for players like Potulny.  The possibility remains that several players who would have otherwise been AHL players will be reassigned to the ECHL instead, to make room for the locked out NHL players. Potulny is joined by Andy Hedlund, Josh Langfeld and Jesse Fibiger in Binghamton this season.  Training camp for the B-Sens opened Sunday with physicals and medicals.  The club opens its five-game pre-season schedule on Saturday, Oct. 2, when they play host to the Syracuse Crunch at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

Well it turns out that Thomas Vanek is going to college this season after all.  Vanek and the Rochester Americans open training camp on the campus of Monroe Community College at the ESL Sports Centre September 28th.  All practices and scrimmages are free and open to the public.  The first preseason game for the Amerks is October 2nd against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Lest people think Thomas Vanek is greedy for accepting the NHL offer from the Buffalo Sabres, Vanek presented a fellow player with a gift of a former teammate's van, following in the footsteps of Paul Martin, who last year donated his car, known as the "White Lightning", to teammate Jarrid Reinholz.

Incoming Gopher freshman Alex Gologoski, brought in a year early to replace Keith Ballard who opted to accept an NHL deal rather than play his senior season, was named to the preseason All-Rookie team by Inside College Hockey.


Brian Lawton of Edina's Octagon Sports is exploring the possibility of putting together a team to play exhibition games in countries including Switzerland, Germany, Finland and Sweden.  "Right now, we're just looking into whether or not we can do it. Insurance is a big, big issue, and there are other things, too."  According to news reports Mike Modano, whom Lawton has approached with the exhibition idea, was unable to get an insurance policy to play in Italy this season. (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Nike has begun airing a striking television commercial in Canada that would certainly work just as effectively in Minnesota as it has for our neighbors to the north.  A 30-second spot shows a stark image of an idle, soundless hockey rink, its 19,000 seats vacant. The "action" is that of the ice, melting away, right down to the concrete floor. The simple message is "bring it back." "It's a statement ad that will be shown only in Canada, where our major hockey market is located," says Derek Kent, the head of corporate communications for Nike Canada."The basic premise is that Nike is lamenting the void the lockout is creating. We want to make a statement about how much we love and appreciate hockey played at its highest level and what a chor d it strikes with Canadians." Nike has a big stake in the hockey market through their acquisition of the Bauer and Cooper brands. Nike ran a similar ad during the 1994 baseball strike showing an empty ballpark. (Globe & Mail)

The NHLPA has filed a grievance with the U.S. National Labour Relations Board against the NHL because of the league's failure to provide a list  of players that have been locked out by owners.  Sources say the league could face sanctions or fines if the U.S. agency rules the NHL is not negotiating fairly. The NLRB could also force the NHL to provide the list. (Ottawa Sun).

Quick Quotes:

 "Well, I think that depends on what's included in that cap.. Are they taking away our guaranteed contracts, like they're talking about? That's something I don't think any player's willing to do. There are different ways to do a cap. If you're going to cap the top teams at $30 million and you've got the Pittsburghs, or whatever, spending $10 million to $12 million, how does that improve the league?

- New Jersey Devils' forward Jamie Langenbrunner responding to whether or not he would be willing to accept a salary cap. Langenbrunner said he would be in favor of a minimum payroll, too. (Newark Star-Ledger).


Quick Take:

 NHL owners like to point to the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, a socialist-based revenue sharing system that the professional hockey league as a model for what they would like to achieve in their negotiations with the NHLPA for a new agreement.  The NHL may want to start back-peddling on that stance rather quickly.  They obviously haven't read recent figures for the NFL or looked at the impending labor unrest that is on the horizon in Football. 

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story about the crumbling of the once solid NFL system and the solidarity of the owners that produced one of the most owner-favored CBA's in professional sports, and the Ottawa Citizen recently spoke to a highly regarded economist.  Both stories help sustain Quick Facts' argument that the NHL's demanded salary cap will do little to remedy the financial ills of the league.

The Journal points out that the NFL's revenue has increased more than fivefold in the past 15 years. Traffic on the NFL's Internet site surpasses that of other leagues. Its broadcasts outpace prime-time averages. And its exceptionally devoted fans buy more than 90% of available tickets. The price of an NFL expansion franchise rose from $195 million in 1993 to $700 million in 1999 and, WSJ estimates, that fee could crack $1 billion the next time around.  By all accounts the league is extrodinarily successful.

But, according to the Journal, Lower-revenue teams spend as much as 70% of their income on players -- about twice the share of teams at the top, executives say. That means the NFL's downtrodden have less to spend on everything else, from front-office staff to stadium infrastructure to fan amenities.

This season, the NFL's 32 franchises will share equally more than 80% of about $5.5 billion in total revenue, says the Journal.  This is the real reason the NFL's current agreement is successful, a claim substantiated by University of Regina sports economist Shaun Augustin . 

During an interview with the Ottawa Citizen Augustin said that it's a "myth" that salary caps either yield higher profits (because owners are still prone to violating limits) or that they create parity between have and have-not teams. "In the NFL, it's revenue-sharing, rather than salary caps, that is creating an even playing field and what drives parity. A salary cap can put a drag on salaries, but what it doesn't do is stop the big-market teams from not spending more than the small-market teams."  For most NHL owners, the issue isn't parity, Augustin said. "They want to pay out less money and they want to have a system where they can't shoot themselves in the foot, and they think a salary cap will do that. And it may stop them from spending more money, but if they're claiming that it's in the interest of competitive balance, that's a lie.  It's in the interests of profitability."

Ironically the successful revenue sharing model in the NFL is what some owners are trying to work around.  Teams are clamoring to find new streams of revenue and keep that revenue to themselves in order to compensate for the increasing salaries.

It began when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones broke ranks and signed a contract with Nike. The league took him to court and the case was eventually settled but more and more the league is allowing individual teams to control their own revenue streams. The Journal story points to the instance of "official" beer and soft drinks of the NFL, Coors & Pepsi, but teams have been allowed to sign their own contracts for their stadiums with competitors. Teams have begun using their brands to reach more deals in areas not exclusively controlled by the league and crafting leases granting them explicit control of stadium income like parking, concessions and signage.

"The values have changed," says Art Modell, former owner of the Colts and Browns. "We were comrades in arms. We were partners. That doesn't happen now. Everything is revenues and profits."

The more revenue the league generates, the more money is set aside for players, and the higher the per-team salary cap climbs. (It's $80.6 million this season, up from $34.6 million in 1994.) Smaller-market teams with static stadium situations bear the brunt of such growth, because their revenue can't keep pace with the salary-cap increases.  The high-revenue teams argue that splitting all revenue, national and local, 32 ways would eliminate incentives for teams to market themselves.

According to union data, the Redskins agreed to shell out more than $77 million in signing bonuses during this offseason, compared with $22 million for the Cardinals. Michael Duberstein, research director at the players union, says teams have spent $2 billion above the cap in the past decade by amortizing costs.

Mr. Tagliabue earlier this year appointed a 12-member committee of owners and league officials to study whether big-money teams should share more of their local haul. But he says the bigger concern for all teams -- and the underlying reasons for their gripes -- is the league's labor agreement. Talks began in April on extending the current contract beyond 2007. 

Players and owners negotiated the deal in 1993, ending years of discord that included a strike and two lawsuits. The contract permitted the NFL's first true free agency, guaranteed players a percentage of league revenue and established the salary-cap system. Salaries have more than tripled, from a $484,000 average in 1992 to $1.3 million last season. The owners and players have been satisfied enough to extend the deal twice.  Is this starting to sound familiar?

The NHL has seen similar exponential growth in salaries and twice the owners have extended the CBA. They have also been looking at returning an NFL franchise to Los Angeles through expansion, creating a huge influx of cash for the league not only through the franchise fee but through the increased revenue, especially in such a large television market.

The NHL is claiming that the only saviour for the league is a salary cap system. That such a cap will be the only way to reign in salary increases and ensure financial stability for the teams. That is a fallacious argument proven false by the NFL.

The NHL is quick to point to the NFL as the perfect model of a salary cap system. The facts and figures presented by the Wall Street Journal and Augustin prove that position held by Gary Bettman and the owners is on thin ice at best. 

(Majority of quotes and information from the Wall Street Journal and the Ottawa Citizens)

Paul Martin was drafted by Detroit of the Original Six Hockey League, a group put together by NHL agents and players to put on exhibition games while the owners lockout NHL players after the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at midnight.  Martin's plans so far are to stay in the Twin Cities and skate with other former Gophers like Ben Clymer, Casey Hankinson and Jordan Leopold at Mariucci Arena trying to stay in shape during the work stoppage.
 
As Quick Facts projected, Troy Riddle was signed to a minor league deal with the St Louis Blues'  affiliate in Worcester, Mass.  Riddle participated in the Blues' prospect tournament in Traverse City, Mich and will play along side John Pohl and Mark Stuart with the IceCats this season.
 
Ryan Caldwell was signed by the New York Islanders.  Caldwell was a member of the NCAA Champion Denver Pioneers.  He will join Matt Koalska in Bridgeport.
 
Junior Lessard was reassigned to the Houston Aeros by the Dallas Stars.  The Stars do not currently operate their own AHL farm club after dizzolving their agreement with the Utah Grizzlies.  They have split their prospects between the Wild's Houston Aeros and the Hamilton Bulldogs whose primary affiliation is with the Montreal Canadiens.

Todd Rohloff was re-signed by the Rochester Americans where he will play with Thomas Vanek and Rick Mrozik.  Rohloff skated in 59 NHL games with Washington and Columbus in last season, and has eight goals and 32 assists in 211 career AHL games with the Portland Pirates and Syracuse Crunch.

The Nashville Predators signed collegiate defenseman Ryan Suter after his freshman season with the University of Wisconsin.  The Preds released rights to Minnesota collegians Matt Hendricks and Matt Koalska earlier this summer.

Grant Potulny and Brandon Bochenski are took part in the Senators rookie camp.  The group began practices at Corel Centre last Thursday and then moved onto Pierrefonds, a suburb of Montreal, for the rookie tournament against fellow rookies from Montreal, Toronto and Florida.  Potulny and the rest of the rookie Sens are 0-2 in tournament play thus far, falling  5-2 against Montreal on Saturday and 6-2 against Toronto on Sunday. Toronto leads the tournament at 2-0 while Florida and Montreal are 1-1.

Troy Riddle, Justin Maiser and the rest of the St. Louis Blues prospects opened their tournament in Traverse City with a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay but came back to beat the Red Wings 3-1.  Maiser roofed a 10-footer at 2:37 of the first period against the Wings, while on the power play.  The Blues faced the Red Wings in hope of moving on to face the Lightning in the Championship game Tuesday.

On the first day of games in the 4-team rookie tournament in Anaheim the San Jose Sharks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1. Tim Conboy scored a goal and two assists in the opening game.  The LA Kings topped the Mighty Ducks in overtime 3-2 . On the second day of competition the Kings embarassed Keith Ballard and the Coyotes 11-2 and the Ducks cruised by the Sharks 6-2.  On day three of the tournament Aaron Gill was one of three San Jose Sharks prospects to score in the first period of a tournament game against the LA Kings but the Kings snapped back to tie the game in the third, which is where the game ended after an overtime period, tied 3-3. The Coyotes bounced back from their big loss a day prior to top the Ducks 4-2 with Ballard getting an assist on the power play. The Ducks and Kings met for the Championship and the Coyotes and Sharks met in the consolation game Monday. (Ducks & Coyotes)

Ballard's blueline combination has had him paired with Joe Callahan.  Ballard was tapped to keep an online diary during the tournament. It is available here.

San Jose Sharks Ron Wilson made it back from World Cup of Hockey, where he coached Team USA,  to watch the conclusion of the prospects tournament in Anaheim.

In preparation of the NHL lockout the Coyotes reassigned Jeff Taffe to the Utah Grizzlies of the AHL.  Taffe was held out of games toward the end of last season to maintain his eligibility to be reassigned without having to first clear waivers.  Keith Ballard was also officially reassigned to Utah.

NHL superpest Mike Ricci, now with the Coyotes, will wear number 40 jersey number to honor former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman who was killed while on duty in Afganistan. (Coyotes)

A poll on the Phoenix Coyotes website asks visitors to vote for which rookie they think will score the most at the rookie tournament.  43.7% of the respondants said Keith Ballard.  Randall Gelech came in second, Mike Stutzel third and Tyler Redenbach fourth.  Ballard didn't register a goal in the tournament.

In preparation for the impending lockout NHL defenseman Joe Bouchard, who played for the New York Rangers last season, has signed up sponsors and rented a bus and each weekend will take a group of Quebec-raised NHLers into a different community in La Belle Province to put on an exhibition game. (Globe & Mail)

Quick Take:

Former Minnesota native Brian Burke, now an analyst for Hockey Night in Canada recently presented his own proposal to resolve the NHL labor problems.  His working agreement includes a 2-year phase-in of the agreement, a 12-year commitment to the agreement, a luxury tax, revenue sharing and big changes in arbitration which would allow the teams to file as well as the players and restrict the number of times arbitration could be sought by each side. The agreement meets both the needs of the NHL and the players. 

Burke may not be known as the most tactful of people, but no one ever accused him of being a bad businessman.  He took the Vancouver Canucks into the black and made them one of the NHL's best teams.  His agressive proposition should be a starting point for negotiations of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

Unfortunately, despite invitations by the players to discuss such a system the league remains recalcitrant in their position that they will only accept a hard salary cap.  What the league fails to acknowledge in their position it is likely that some teams that are struggling to bring in fans now, like the Carolina Hurricanes or Anaheim Mighty Ducks for instance, may not have any revenue after alienating what is left of their fan base because of this lockout. Following the NHL's revenue to salary ratio, that would mean those teams wouldn't even be able to field an ECHL club.  How that is good for the league I fail to see.

It is time for the rational owners of the league, ones who have not foolishly contributed to  salary escalation through absurd salaries and bonuses offered mediocre players, to break ranks and bring the remainder of the owners back to the bargaining table. It is their responsibility to set forth a proposal that meets their condition of curbing salaries while maintaining the players' position that players value should be determined by teams.  What is necessary is a compromise of both sides,  the owners conceeding the hard cap and players conceeding arbitration and entry level salaries.  The future of the league and the sport depends it.


Quick Speculation:

Earlier this summer Ray Shero, the Assistant GM for the Nashville Predators, told Quick Facts that the Preds had planned to rely on junior players this season and that they would refrain from signing most of their college and European players, mostly as a cost-saving measure as a result of the NHL work stoppage. Just before the scheduled start of NHL training camp the Preds signed top prospect Ryan Suter out of the University of Wisconsin, a move contrary to earlier statements. The move was likely a result of lack of depth with their AHL club, thanks to several players signing in Europe, and the pressure the organization faced after several top college prospects signed early this summer, including Keith Ballard, Thomas Vanek, Brandon Bochenski and Jake Taylor, all foregoing their last years of NCAA eligibility.  Most players were pushed toward the early departure from college with the expiration of the NHL CBA, knowing that a new Agreement would result in much lower entry-level contracts.

Quick Quotes::

 "We were able to move the puck very well and that just comes from more practice time together and like I said earlier, it took a couple of games for guys to know each other's tendencies and our hard work paid off."

- Keith Ballard on beating the Mighty Ducks 4-2 in rookie tournament play a day after being beaten 11-2 by the Kings. (phoenixcoyotes.com)

 "I have to touch on the World Cup of Hockey because Team USA was defeated Friday night against Finland.  I am a native of Minnesota and I was able to attend a game last weekend in St. Paul.  I visited with a good friend of mine, Paul Martin, who was representing the red, white and blue.  It's exciting to see guys you have played with representing their country on hockey's biggest international stage.  I didn't get a chance to watch Friday's game because our contest was being played at the same time, but it was disappointing to hear they lost, but they gave it their best shot."

- Keith Ballard in his online journal during prospects camp in California  (PhoenixCoyotes.com)


 "We're treating this as we do every year. There's a group of young players in the development stages of their careers, and this is a great opportunity to assess them against their own peers.  We don't feel the potential of a work stoppage changes things because we know every one of these players will be playing this year. It's important that we put them in the right place to develop."

- Coyotes GM Michael Barnett on the status of rookie players, like Keith Ballard, in the event of a lockout. (ESPN.com)

Shjon Podein has re-signed with the Växjö Lakers of the Allsvenskan Södra.  He has arranged several "Podes Clauses" which are bonus/incentive clauses designed especially for the Rochester native.  Anyone who knows Podein will likely guess what some of them may be.  He is joined this season by Dylan Mills whom Nick Angell helped secure a position with the Lakers.
 
Trent Klatt is a member of the NHLPA executive board.  According to press reports, the board, which also includes Bill Guerin, Arturs Irbe, Vincent Damphousse, Daniel Alfredsson and Trevor Linden, was to meet with Bob Goodenow and Ted Saskin on Wednesday to discuss negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. 
 
Paul Martin and Jordan Leopold both plan on staying in the Twin Cities to skate with the Gophers in the event of an NHL lockout.  Martin just purchased a new home in Minneapolis so will have time to move in.
 
Casey Hankinson will remain in the Twin Cities and wait for an NHL deal rather than playing the season in Europe.  Several teams have made inquires about the former Gopher but he is still looking for the best NHL opportunity and one that is the right fit for him.

Keith Ballard left for Anaheim over the weekend to attend rookie prospects camp with the Phoenix Coyotes.  Rookie squads from the LA Kings, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes compete against each other in a round robin tournament.

Troy Riddle is attending the rookie prospects tournament being held in Traverse City Michigan as a prospect of the St Louis Blues.  He was working out with the SPS Hockey training camp before he left.

Thomas Vanek was also skating with the SPS Hockey camp before signing with the Sabres last week.  While he did not receive his desired $1 million signing bonus up front, he did receive the rookie maximum salary and a bonus that totals more than $1 million, divided between the first two seasons of his contract.

If there is an NHL lockout Vanek and his Rochester Americans will go up against Wyatt Smith and the Milwaukee Admirals in Nashville on October 16th, less than a day after their home opener at Bradley Center.  If the NHL starts on time the AHL game would become part of a double-header starting at 2pm with the NHL game beginning at 7pm.  Several other NHL cities will host AHL games this season, with or without the NHL in play.

Chris Paradise was signed by the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL.  He played only 17 games last year with the Rockford Ice Hogs of the UHL and missed the rest of the season due to injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets claimed Jeff Panzer off waivers from the St Louis Blues.

The Ottawa Senators officially announced the signing of Brandon Bochenski.

The Minnesota Wild plan on a large mailing to Wild season ticket holders to promote the new National League Lacrosse team that will play in Minnesota this winter.  The mailing will include a DVD and other promotional materials in an effort to gain awareness and increase ticket sales.  With no promotion besides at the arena and the original announcement, Steve Griggs believes they have around 850 deposits placed to secure tickets to the Minnesota NLL team.

Former Pens owner Howard Baldwin has been reported to be part of a bid for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks franchise with sights on relocating them to the new Kansas City facility just approved.  Baldwin recently got back into the hockey game with his ownership of the AHL Stars slated to play in Des Moines next season.

The Toronto Sun reports that the Original Stars Hockey League is a go featuring four-on-four competition played by NHL stars.  The first game is slated for Friday September 17th in Barrie with a second game scheduled for Sunday in Sarnia. League organizer Randy Grumbly stated that no fewer than 113 full-time NHL players have submitted applications to play in the league which will be made up of six teams, with 12 players and one goalie on each side.

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that they entered into a management agreement with the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League.  The Minnesota Wild have been rumored to be looking at bringing the league back to the Twin Cities to play at Xcel Energy Center.  Target Center was once host to the short-lived Fighting Pike arena football team.

The WHA has pushed back, again, a start date for the first season.  Lease agreements have only been signed in two cities, Dallas and Detroit with Vancouver, Halifax, Orlando and perhaps Hamilton still in the mix.  The league has stated they need at least 5 teams to operate this season and has set a date of September 17th to make a final determination on whether the league will play this season.  The franchise in Dallas was originally slated for the Target Center in Minneapolis until new arena management here withdrew the lease proposal.

Quick Facts World Cup coverage:

Watch soon for more coverage of Minnesota players taking part in the World Cup of Hockey.

Quick Quotes::

"I think what's happening is incredibly sad. Getting the two sides to see each other's views and getting this season going, I think, is good for the fans. It's certainly good, ultimately, for the NHL's growth. The problem is, there's no panacea here, and I'm not optimistic about this thing getting resolved anytime soon."  - ESPN Executive Vice President Mark Shapiro on the state of the NHL.  (Washington Times)

Jordan Leopold was forced out of World Cup competition after suffering a concussion during an exhibition game against Canada.  It was at least Leopold's fourth concussion suffered within two years.
 
Paul Martin, Leopold's replacement, left for Columbus on Tuesday and practiced with the team on Wednesday. Should Brian Rafalski's groin injury heal in time for competition look for the New Jersey teammates to be paired on the blueline.  Following Scott Neidermayer's injury last year Martin was paired with Rafalski on the Devils' to defensive unit, before Rafalski suffered a broken leg.
 
Also out of competition for Team USA is defenseman Hal Gill, who suffered a broken foot in Wednesday's 3-1 exhibition loss to Canada. Colorado defenseman John Michael Liles was named as a replacement.  Should another blueline substitute be necessary, look for Sean Hill or Bret Hedican to receive consideration or maybe David Tanabe. 
 
Faribault native Joe Dusbabek has signed with the Quad City Mallards of the UHL. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Dusbabek scored  17 goals and added 31 assists in 55 games with Roanoke last season. (Quad City Times)

Plymouth native centerman Matt Hussey has been re-signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Hussey was drafted in the 9th round before spending four years at the University of Wisconsin.  He has spent the last two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL farm club for Pittsburgh.  Last season he played three games for the Penguins and scored two goals and an assist. 

Eden Prairie's Joe Bourne has re-signed with the Gwinnet Gladiators of the ECHL.  Last year with the Gladiators he scored 6 goals and 15 assists in 68 games.

Austrian team Heraklith VSV reportedly tried to solicit Minnesota Wild forwards Richard Park and Austrian Christoph Brandner.  Both players refused the offer so the team tried to sign LA Kings forward Mike Cammaleri but the deal was announced dead.

Minnesota Lacrosse Association board members Ian Flam and Frank Clark plan to try out for the Professional NLL team to play at the X.  Clark is the coach at Benilde St. Margaret High School.  Flam coaches at Minnetonka High School and Minnesota State Moorehead.  Clark and Flam also coach Team DeBeer of the Twin Cities Lacrosse Club.

Travis Richards, captain of the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, will play a wheelchair basketball game with other members of the organization, against the Kentwood Rollers this Friday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Kentwood High School (6230 Kalamazoo), to help raise money for BlazeSports: City of Kentwood. BlazeSports: City of Kentwood is a program that provides year-round sports instruction and training for people with all types of physical disabilities. It is a local chapter of BlazeSports Clubs of America, a national community-based sports and fitness program for children and adults, and a direct legacy of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, the first ever held in the United States. (GR Griffins)

Keith Ballard will have a little entertainment to keep him occupied next season while serving time in the sin bin.  The Utah Grizzlies, the AHL farm team for the Phoenix Coyotes are currently auditioning dancers and skaters to serve as cheerleaders for the team. 

University of Minnesota forward Kelly Stephens (Seattle, WA) scored twice and added an assist and Colgate goaltender Rebecca Lahar (Vienna, Va.) made 20 saves as Team USA defeated Canada 3-1 in the first contest of the three-game Under-22 series. The teams meet again at the Lake Placid Olympic Center tonight before moving to the
University of Vermont for the final contest on Saturday. Team USA hosts Canada again on Thursday night at the Lake Placid Olympic Center (USA Hockey)

The Minnesota Wild and Houston Aeros have not yet renewed their affiliation agreement with the Louisiana Ice Gators of the ECHL.  The agreement expired at the end of last season.  Negotiations are reportedly underway with a partial affiliation expected for this year.  Under a partial agreement the Wild or Aeros will send a few players to the Ice Gators.

The WHA has tendered a $7.5 million contract to Canadian phenom Sidney Crosby.  It is unlikely the future star will accept.

Grant Potulny will have a new coach in Binghamton this year, Dave Cameron, former head coach of the Canadian Major Junior St. Michael Majors.  Cameron recently returned from the Czech Republic, where he guided Canada's national under-18 team to a 5-0 record and a gold medal in the Junior World Cup. He is expected to work with the Senators' young players in the club's annual rookie camp starting in early September. (Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)

Grant Potulny, Jake Taylor, Keith Ballard, Troy Riddle and Matt Koalska are all likely to report to their respective teams in late September when AHL training camps begin.  If the NHL does sign a new CBA they will all report in early September as rookies with the NHL teams. Joey Martin will attend camp in Norfolk on a tryout in late September.


Stanley Cup winning forward Ben Clymer is still without an NHL contract.

Former Minnesota Moose forward Yvon Corriveau has signed with Berliner SC in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.  He played last season with Eisbaren Berlin.


Shawn Kurulak, head coach of the Fargo-Moorehead Jets has accepted the head coaching position for the Army hockey team.  He coached the Jets to a second-place finish in the North American Hockey League's West Division last season.  Kurulak said he began discussing the opening at West Point with Army assistant Rob Haberbusch less than two weeks ago.

Haberbusch was an assistant at Findlay when Kurulak was an assistant at Bemidji State from 2001-03. Findlay and Bemidji State are both members of the College Hockey America conference. Head coach Rob Riley retired at Army following last season's 12-18-3 finish. (Fargo Forum)


Kevin Constantine's Everett Silvertips opened training camp today.  It is the second season for the surprise expansion team who set records for wins and points for an expansion team.  They also won the WHL Western Conference Championship.

Quick Speculation:

Thomas Vanek will not return to the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team this fall.  While much has been said about him playing in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings, the team that drafted him, Vanek is much more likely to sit out the season or play in Europe than play in the WHL, even if it grants him free agency.  Playing as an overager in the WHL is considered by most in Canada to be an embarassement, and the calibre of play is not a step up for Vanek.  Should he bide his time overseas look for him to play in either the Deutsche Eishockey Liga or the Czech Extraliga.  The Austrian league, while increasing in talent, is not an option for Vanek.  

While Buffalo may have recently increased their offer to the Gopher forward,  it will still not be sufficient unless it reaches the level of the contracts signed by Ryan Whitney and Keith Ballard, also number 5 picks in the NHL Entry Draft.  Buffalo is said to not be willing to tender such a contract. 

What Vanek's camp is hoping for is that another team willing to sign him for his desired amount will step forward and offer the Sabres a trade for Vanek's rights.  For the Sabres, they have little hope of ever seeing Vanek in a Buffalo uniform if they stick to their frugal budget, so the best option for them could be a trade.  However, teams are unlikely to make such a move until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is in place.

Should Vanek end up playing overseas look for some additional movement on the trade front after the new CBA is in place.  Any contract he signs overseas will have an "out" clause should he receive the NHL offer he is seeking.

Quick Quotes:

"He's what we're looking for. He has character, he plays hard every night and he plays with some toughness. I think he'll remind people a lot of Pete Armbrust, except I think he'll be more offensive than Pete was.''
-Quad Cities Mallards president Howard Cornfield on the signing of Joe Dusbabek. (Quad City Times)
 
"Joe is a solid stay-at-home defenseman.  He's great in our locker room and a great fit for the organization. He does a lot of positive things both on and off the ice."
-Gwinnett Gladiators head coach Jeff Pyle on the re-signing of Joe Bourne. (Gwinnett Daily Post)

"My goal is to be a head coach of a Division I hockey team. The timing wasn't great. But when the opportunity to coach at West Point (N.Y.) came up, it was something I couldn't refuse."
- Former Fargo-Moorehead Jets head coach Shawn Kurulak on becoming head coach of the Army hockey team. (Fargo Forum)

Saint Paul's Patrick Brownlee is reportedly retiring from professional hockey.  After 4 years at RPI, and serving as captain of his senior squad, Brownlee has played the last 5 years playing professionally in the minors.  Starting in the ECHL, moving to the UHL and eventually ending up with the Austin Ice Bats of the CHL.  Brownlee's rights are currently held by the Fort Worth Brahmas of the CHL but the stalwart stay-at-home defenseman is not expected to play this season.
 
Jordan Leopold signed a multi-year contract with the Calgary Flames that is expected to give the Hobey Baker winner an annual salary  in excess of $1 million.  Leopold earned $900,000 last season when he led all Flames blueliners in scoring and had 10 playoff assists in their run for the Stanley Cup.
 
Keith Ballard will report to training camp in Anaheim with the rest of the Coyotes rookies on September 2nd.  If the NHL does not have a new CBA then he will likely wait to report to the Utah Grizzlies camp in Idaho.

Ballard begins training on Monday at Ben Hankinson's SPS Hockey camp at Parade Ice Garden.  Ballard, along with Paul Martin, Jake Taylor and other SPS clients will take part in drills and scrimmages in preparation for the upcoming season.  SPS camp will run until September 15 and sometimes includes members of the Minnesota Wild who report to town early.
 
Joey Martin will be a coach of a week-long camp in New Jersey in September before he reports to Norfolk for a training camp tryout with the Admirals.  Martin has a signed contract to play with the Greenville Grrrowl of the ECHL but has a great chance at making the AHL roster.  The Admirals are the farm team of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Martin will join Neil Sheehy's camp for training with other Sheehy clients like Toby Petersen, Matt Koalska and Jason Blake.
 
Wild draft pick Mikko Koivu has been added to Team Finland for the World Cup competition.  Unfortunately Wild fans will not get an advance preview of the future star centerman as the Finns will not be competing in Xcel Energy Center as part of Saint Paul's scheduled competitions.
 
TJ Guidarelli has signed to re-join SC Reissersee in the German Bundesliga.  He had played with the team before they were forced to suspend operations due to money and arena issues.  He spent the last part of last season in the Austrian league with HC Tirol Inssbruck. Guidarelli will be joined in Reissersee by Eagan's Peter Runkel who played for the Wichita Thunder of the CHL last season.

There is currently not one player on an NLL roster from Minnesota or a player from a Minnesota college.  That is expected to change now that Saint Paul is host to the National Lacrosse League.

Nate Dicasmirro has re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers that will see the former Husky in the organization for the next two years.  DiCasmirro, now age 25, had 17 goals and 18 assists in 71 games for the Toronto Roadrunners of the AHL last season.  He tied for third on the club in goals.  The Roadrunners will now play in Edmonton after relocating this summer.  Toby Petersen will likely be Dicasmirro's teammate with the 'Runners as he also signed a multi-year deal with the Oilers this summer.

Former Fighting Sioux Chris Leinweber has been re-signed by the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs.

The official announcement will be made this week that the Dallas Stars will make their primary AHL affiliate a new team in Des Moines, Iowa beginning the 2005-2006 season. Former North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins owner Howard Baldwin owns the franchise and is will announce a partnership with the owners of the Junior A Texas Tornado, Bob and Kirby Schlegel.  The Stars will temporarily place players in Houston with the Wild's Aeros as well as in Edmonton with the Bulldogs, the Oilers' affiliate.

The Original Stars Hockey League was officially announced in Canada Ontario investment banker Randy Gumbley released plans for a six-team league that would begin play for willing National Hockey League players at the in Toronto next month. Gumbley confirmed that he hopes to successfully negotiate a television deal to broadcast the games before next month's opener. Although he would not comment on talks, it is believed the OSHL has been discussing a deal with both Sportsnet and TSN. The league and players will share the profits from ticket sales, sponsorship and broadcast fees with some players already designating those earnings to charitable organizations. OSHL games will be four-on-four hockey, with 17-minute periods, no centre line, no-touch icing and penalty shots instead of two-minute penalties. Gumbley said that 23 players, including Andreychuk, Dominik Hasek, Martin Lapointe, Patrick Lalime, Mike Ricci and Daniel Briere, have signed a letter of intent to play. Gumbley's aid that the remaining roster spots will be filled before the draft on Sept. 16.  Each team will have 11 skaters and a goaltender. The nine-week schedule will be played in cities across Canada including Toronto, Quebec City, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Kitchener, Barrie, Oshawa, Belleville, Peterborough, Mississauga and Brampton.

Quick Speculation:
 
Rumors are circulating that political pressure from the Wild forced Target Center to withdraw from their agreement to host Hockey Gladiators at the Minneapolis Arena.  The same rumors abounded when the new Target Center management company headed by Dana Warg took over the building from ClearChannel and retracted a lease proposal to the WHA.  ClearChannel is the company that worked out the agreements with Hockey Gladiators and the WHA but the new management, involving Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, chose to distance themselves from both hockey related enterprises.  Speculation is that Taylor's reported partnership with Bob Naegele and MSE for a possible Vikings purchase has him not wanting to play host to events not exactly popular with those with the Wild.


Quick Quotes:

"We are pleased to have both Mike and Nate under contract.  They both play with the grit and tenacity we expect of players in our organization."
- Oilers assistant general manager Scott Howson on the contracts signed by Nate Dicasmirro and teammate Mike Bishai. (Edmonton Oilers)
 
"Jordan is a good, young defenseman who we expect to continue to develop and improve his game.  With his age and ability, he is a strong fit for our organization. He will play an important role in what we are building here in Calgary."
- Calgary Flames coach and general manger Darryl Sutter on Jordan Leopold re-signing with the team (Calgary Flames).

It is now official, Neil Sheehy has confirmed that Matt Koalska has finalized his contract and has signed with the New York Islanders.  Koalska signed the three-year offer in Sheehy's office yesterday and faxed it back to Mike Milbury, the Islanders General Manager.  Koalska said he will likely visit Long Island in a week or so, work out with some of the team and meet with the team officials, before returning to Minnesota to pack up.  If there is an NHL season Koalska would likely have to report to camp around September 16th.  If the lockout does take place, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers' camp begins September 26th and Koalska would report for that.  Koalska spoke with Bloomington's Ryan Kraft on Monday about signing with the club. Kraft joined the Tigers last season after signing a two-way deal with the Islanders and was an assistant captain with the AHL club.  Koalska said it would be fun to have a fellow Gopher to play with. Terms of the deal will not be disclosed but Koalska did say he would be giving the "Polish Pride" pickup truck he has been driving for years back to his father Bernie Koalska and would be using some of his signing bonus to upgrade to a "Polish Pride II."
 
The Islanders' announcement of the signing pointed out that Koalska was born just 8 days before the team won their first Stanley Cup.
 
Koalska will only be an hour drive away from good buddy and former Gopher teammate Paul Martin, who plays with the Devils, no matter whether he plays in Bridgeport or on the Island.
 
Brian Bonin participated in the Gopher Hockey Alumni Golf Tournament held Sunday at Legend's Golf Course.  Bonin got a birdie, but not how you would expect, on one of Bonin's drives his ball hit a bird mid-air, feathers flying.  Bonin finished the hole, the bird, it was reported, didn't fare as well.  Bonin has been working out all summer and hopes to resume his hockey career in Europe this year.  He was forced to withdraw from his agreement to play in Germany last year after a previous wrist injury, had not healed enough to allow him to play.
 
Former St. Cloud State center Matt Noga has re-signed with the Corpus Christie Ice Rayz.  Noga, 27, came to the Rayz with then-new coach Malcolm Cameron as part of a massive roster shake-up in January.  In 25 games with the Rayz, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Noga tallied 17 points (five goals, 12 assists). He opened the 2003-04 season with the United Hockey League's Columbus Stars, where he had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 24 games before the team folded in January. ( Corpus Christie Caller Times)

The AHL schedule has been released.  If there is no NHL seasoon several former Gophers are likely to make their professional debuts with AHL clubs this fall.  Grant Potulny will begin his first full pro season facing Matt Demarchi's River Rats in Albany on opening night October 15. Should Matt Koalska begin the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, his first official game will also be against Demarchi, Zach Parise and the Rats at home in Bridgeport on October 16th.  Jake Taylor may play his first game against Ben Stafford and the Philadelphia Phantoms in Hartford on October 16th.  His second game has him facing John Pohl and Troy Riddle's Worcester IceCats in Hartford on Friday, October 22nd, then traveling to Bridgeport to face Koalska and Ryan Kraft's Tigers.  Riddle & Pohl are slated to open the season in Manchester facing Adam Hauser's Monarchs on the 15th if they are with the IceCats.  Should Joey Martin's tryout with Norfolk result in him staying with the Admirals he will open the season on the 15th against the Hershey Bears.  If Thomas Vanek signs with the Buffalo Sabres and there isn't a NHL season he could play his first pro game with the Americans in Rochester against the Manitoba Moose on the 15th.  Keith Ballard may begin in Utah with the Grizzlies against the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, also on opening night, the 15th.
 
Toronto has transplanted their farm team from their longstanding home in St. John's Newfoundland, aka The Rock, to the Exhibition Center in Toronto.  The arena was home to the Toronto Roadrunners last season but the Oilers moved them to Edmonton.

The National Lacrosse League team announced by MSE was not secured as a means the book extra dates at the X because of an expected lockout of the NHL but rather to book the open dates an NHL team doesn't use in order to get the most value for the arena investment.  The team would have been secured with or without the NHL labor unrest.  The professional lacrosse team won't likely be the only new tenant at the building either with Arena Football, or a Junior or Minor league hockey team being possibilities as well.  Indoor soccer isn't as likely but professional team tennis could have a longshot chance.

Quick Speculation:
 
Rumors are circulating that political pressure from the Wild forced Target Center to withdraw from their agreement to host Hockey Gladiators at the Minneapolis Arena.  The same rumors abounded when the new Target Center management company headed by Dana Warg took over the building from ClearChannel and retracted a lease proposal to the WHA.  ClearChannel is the company that worked out the agreements with Hockey Gladiators and the WHA but the new management, involving Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, chose to distance themselves from both hockey related enterprises.  Speculation is that Taylor's reported partnership with Bob Naegele and MSE for a possible Vikings purchase has him not wanting to play host to events not exactly popular with those with the Wild.

Quick Correction:
 
In the 8/6 Quick Facts it was stated that Jake Taylor could wear the #14 jersey in Hartford but that sweater is assigned to Wolf Pack veteran Bobby Andrews.

Quick Quotes:

"It is unbelievable!  You wait your whole life for this moment, it's a dream come true."
- Matt Koalska on signing his first NHL contract.
 
"We are happy to have an inaugural NLL franchise playing in St. Paul, Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center. We have been looking for a sports and entertainment opportunity like lacrosse for several years. It has been our commitment from our venue's inception to bring world-class sporting events (like the NLL) to the Twin Cities."
- Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting for the Minnesota Wild Bill Robertson.

Tomorrow the Minnesota Wild are expected to make the official announcement that they have secured a National Lacrosse League team to play at Xcel Energy Center this season.  Youth lacrosse players from area school teams, like Edina and Breck, will be present with lacrosse sticks in hand for the photo op.  In 2004 10 teams played in the NLL: Anaheim Storm, Arizona Sting, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Jose Stealth, Toronto Rock, Vancouver Ravens. According to US Lacrosse the indoor season runs from January to April, and games draw 5,000-18,000 spectators per game. Compensation for players averages between $5,000 and $10,000 per season.
 
Gait Brothers Lacrosse which has a Hopkins retail store, the only lacrosse-specific supplier in the midwest, is expected to be a primary sponsor.
 
Apple Valley's Colin Achenbach is probably the best Minnesota player currently in the sport.  According to a story in the Star Tribune this spring Achenbach was the first Minnesota high school lacrosse player to receive All-America honors. He earned a lacrosse scholarship to NCAA Division II Pace University, where he just finished his sophomore year. Last year, he was the second-leading scorer on the team. This year, he was the leading scorer and won All-America honors.  Other names to keep an eye on as Minnesota lacrosse products include Adam Kath and Aron Lipkin, who play lacrosse at Whittier College.
 
Taylor will be answering select questions submitted on the rangers website throughout his stay at the Rangers' prospects camp in Calgary.  Go here to send in your question: http://nyrangers.com/fanzone/qa.asp
 
According to US Lacrosse, the sport is one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States. Youth membership (ages 15 and under) in US Lacrosse has doubled since 1999 to over 60,000. The National Federation of State High School Associations reported that in 2001 better than 74,000 students played high lacrosse. Since January 2000 alone, four states (California, Georgia, Illinois and Minnesota) have sanctioned lacrosse. The NFHS reported 74,225 male and female students played in 2001, a 20 percent increase from 2000 and better than a 100 percent increase since 1995.
 
Matt Cullen took a big pay cut in signing as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Florida Panthers did not qualify Cullen in part due to his high salary, it would have taken an offer of $1.9 million for Florida to maintain the Moorehead native's rights.  They decided that was too much so let him go as a free agent.  Cullen decided to accept the Hurricanes' offer of $800,000 in order to play for coach Peter Laviolette this season.  The Canes will give Cullen the ice time and the right system to allow him to regain his offensive numbers last shown when he was with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
 
Craig Johnson left for Hamburg, Germany today, his wife and children plan to join him in a month or so.  He had offers to play with several European teams but the Freezers presented the best opportunity for the speedy centerman.

The Gopher Hockey Alumni tournament was held on Sunday at Jake Enebak's Legend's golf course.  The tournament was attended by at least 50 former Gopher players, mostly from teams from the 90's to present.  Brett Abrahamson, a trader at Piper Jaffray, won the tournament with former Yale coach and Minneapolis native John Hamre and former Gopher Jay Moser, with Moser winning the golfer of the day.   Enebak won two of the three grand prizes available at the tournament.

Former Gopher goalie Jeff Callinan is on a minor pro golf tour and Chris McAlpine, who retired from the NHL last year is about to open his own bar in Shoreview. 
 
Scott Bell is spearheading an effort to assemble an official Gopher Hockey Alumni Association to provide networking and support services for former University hockey players.  All former Gopher players are encouraged to contact Bell or Mark Bahr at the Gopher Hockey office for more information.
 
If the NHL fails to reach a a new CBA then Jake Taylor will tentatively be starting out in Wolf Pack camp in New York around the 23 of September, on ice the 25th working out in New York (Tarrytown) for a week, then coming to Hartford on September 30.  If the NHL does start on time, the Wolf Pack begins camp September 18th, coincidental to the NY Rangers camp. (NY Rangers)
 
With the Buffalo Sabres close to finishing up arbitration hearings and contract renewals they could be prepared to tender an official offer to Thomas Vanek of the Gophers.  Vanek is said to be seeking a comparable deal to that signed by Ryan Whitney, also a 5th overall pick in the Entry Draft.  Whitney signed for the rookie maximum.
 
Madison, Wisconsin native Aaron Smith has signed a contract with the ECHL Columbia Inferno.  The former University of Omaha forward played last season for the ECHL Texas Wildcatters.
 
The Sabres re-signed former Wild defenseman Brad Brown to a one-year contract.  Brown was traded with a late round draft pick to the Sabres at the deadline last season in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2005.
 
Former Gopher Nick Angell is in Duluth preparing to leave for Norway where he will be playing for Frisk-Asker Tigers of the Norsk Eliteserien this year.  Angell also helped get his friend and former teammate Dylan Mills a contract in the Swedish Allsvenskan league where he will play with Mörrum.